West Craven displays No. 88 car

The No. 88 car, driven by Dale Earnhardt Jr. and owned by Hendrick Motorsports, was displayed in the parking lot at West Craven High Tuesday. The car was brought to Vanceboro for educational purposes, along with enjoyment.

Chuck Beckley/Sun Journal

By Adam Thompson, Sun Journal Staff

Published: Wednesday, September 12, 2012 at 11:09 AM.

VANCEBORO — What’s the commotion outside
West
Craven
High School
?

Sitting the parking lot sits a $250,000 race car, packaged with a V6 engine that produces 303 horsepower. It can go from 0 to 60 miles per hour in just 6.4 seconds, and can accelerate up to 219 miles per hour.

The stock car of nationally-recognizable NASCAR driver Dale Earnhardt Jr. was on display for several hours Tuesday.

Master Sgt. Casey Garrett, West Craven’s Air Force Junior ROTC instructor, was influential in bringing the famous No. 88 car to the school.

In the Air Force Junior ROTC, Garrett said, they teach the kids about aerodynamic forces, and the principles of how aerodynamic forces affect an airplane in flight.

Bringing in Earnhardt’s car gave the cadets and students an opportunity to study it and see a race car first-hand.

“This car employs the same technology in understanding of aerodynamic forces that are used on an aircraft,” Garrett said. “The top of the car has spoilers. When the car goes around, the cadets are able to understand that these spoilers deploy and keep air pressure down on top of the car and keep the car from becoming air born.

Sitting the parking lot sits a $250,000 race car, packaged with a V6 engine that produces 303 horsepower. It can go from 0 to 60 miles per hour in just 6.4 seconds, and can accelerate up to 219 miles per hour.

The stock car of nationally-recognizable NASCAR driver Dale Earnhardt Jr. was on display for several hours Tuesday.

Master Sgt. Casey Garrett, West Craven’s Air Force Junior ROTC instructor, was influential in bringing the famous No. 88 car to the school.

In the Air Force Junior ROTC, Garrett said, they teach the kids about aerodynamic forces, and the principles of how aerodynamic forces affect an airplane in flight.

Bringing in Earnhardt’s car gave the cadets and students an opportunity to study it and see a race car first-hand.

“This car employs the same technology in understanding of aerodynamic forces that are used on an aircraft,” Garrett said. “The top of the car has spoilers. When the car goes around, the cadets are able to understand that these spoilers deploy and keep air pressure down on top of the car and keep the car from becoming air born.

“Those are flight controls that are on airplanes.”

Garrett said the mindset is to make learning fun.

“It is curriculum in action,” he said. “When you can take technology and combine it with fun, the cadets and students are able to learn at a total different level than they normally would.”

Rick Stevenson drove Earnhardt’s car from its garage in Concord — the home of Hendrick Motorsports.

It was a vision most kids in Eastern North Carolina are unfamiliar with.

“Moving from Concord, out here it seems like people don’t get to see NASCAR as much,” said David Fernandez, assistant athletic director at West Craven. “To have a car come by, it gives kids an experience to see something up close and personal.”

Stevenson, who drives the No. 88 car to shows and events across the country, turned the car on and revved the engine to impress the on looking patrons.

The car is sponsored by the National Guard, who had recruiters on hand to speak with West Craven students.

“The National Guards support (Earnhardt) and he supports the troops,” Stevenson said. “We have a program where (Earnhardt) goes to some high schools to talk to kids about racing and how important it is to get an education.”

The 88 car dropped by West Craven High on its way to the Crystal Coastal Grand Prix in MoreheadCity.

The car is not only used for racing, but also for personal appearances and efforts to help the National Guard on their recruiting effort.

“The 88 number associates with the National Guards,” said Sgt. 1st class Hanlon. “(Earnhardt) is, by far, the most popular driver in NASCAR. By seeing that, there is an interest and they want to find out more about the Guard. It’s an outstanding part-time career in the military.”

Earnhardt, one of the most recognizable drivers, is gearing up for the Sprint Cup Chase, which begins on Sunday in Chicago.

“In NASCAR, you can see the interest all over the place here (in Eastern North Carolina),” said Specialist Lance Dombrowski, a National Guard recruiter from New Bern. “There are a lot of country folks out here and everyone loves NASCAR — fast cars, loud noise.”

Earnhardt, who maintains a home in Cleveland, NC, is seventh in the point standings with 10 races remaining.

The National Guard will be Earnhardt’s primary sponsor for 20 races next season.

“(Earnhardt) is very down to Earth,” Stevenson said. “He is a country boy. He lives here in North Carolina and grows up in North Carolina. His personal life, he keeps a little bit private, but he goes downtown in hometown just like anybody else would.”